Wealthier neighborhoods in Florida have been receiving the COVID-19 vaccination before less well-heeled neighborhoods and this seems to coincide with a rash of high campaign contributions to Governor Ron DeSantis. Inquiring minds want to know, so two top Florida Democrats asked the FBI to get involved and see if there was a correlation — or, heaven forfend, a causal connection. Miami Herald:
Florida’s two top Democratic officials on Thursday called on the U.S. Justice Department to launch an investigation into Gov. Ron DeSantis for what they say appears to be a “pay to play” scheme in which the governor directed vaccine doses to communities in the state’s wealthiest ZIP codes in exchange for campaign contributions.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Senate Democratic Leader Gary Farmer issued separate statements urging the U.S. Attorney and the FBI to look into whether the $3.9 million in contributions made to the governor’s political committee since December alone were connected to favorable treatment for vaccine distribution.
On Thursday, the governor angrily blasted a Miami Herald report that quoted an internal newsletter sent to residents of the wealthy gated enclave of the Ocean Reef Club, located in north Key Largo. […]
About that same time, state data on vaccinations by ZIP codes showed that as low-income neighborhoods tended to get hit harder by COVID-19 spread, wealthier neighborhoods were getting their shots at a faster rate than the rest of the state. […]
Farmer, a Lighthouse Point Democrat, told reporters in Tallahasseethat if the governor had no role and the wealthy community received no special treatment, “then the governor should not fear an investigation at all. Let’s get that out in the open.”
You can’t argue that. If everything is above board and only people who are entitled to the vaccine are getting it, and if out of the blue and unrelated, a lot of wealthy people feel like giving Ron DeSantis all kinds of money, then there shouldn’t be any problem with an FBI investigation, right? I mean, it’s not like Ron DeSantis is selling the vaccine to the wealthy, or something reprehensible like that, right? I mean, Ron DeSantis is a straight up kind of guy who doesn’t favor people, just like the rain, that falls on the just and the unjust alike, right? Right. Nothing to worry about, Ron. Go over to Mar-a-Lago and have a piece of chocolate cake with Donald.
And Bruce Rauner totally didn’t get vaccinated ahead of others who were higher priority, yes?
I wish I could comment but it’s probably better that I don’t!